The First Method for Modalities
Workshop took place in Amsterdam on May, 1999. It focused on the
particular relationship between modal formalisms and computer science.
While planning M4M-1, we aimed to create an environment in which one
could really learn from what the speakers coming from
different fields would have to tell us. We settled on long,
tutorial-like presentations by invited speakers, complemented by
contributed papers and an afternoon for system demonstrations.

The invited talks covered some of the main approaches to modern
automated reasoning (resolution and tableaux calculi), discussed
techniques for test set generation, model checking and labeled
deduction. Submitted papers, on the other hand, contributed further,
less traditional angles. System presentations included both classical
and state of the art modal theorem provers, demonstrated by the
developers themselves, which helped to create a genuine ``hands-on''
atmosphere.

The workshop proved to be a stimulating event that motivated people to
share knowledge and expertise. Lecture rooms overflowed as we
underestimated the popularity of our late-night-idea. And the ripples
created by the pebble we threw back in November 1998 are still moving
out from the center.